Last Updated 13/06/2021
As Australia’s 3rd biggest city and an increasingly popular tourist destination for travellers from Asia, Europe and beyond, Brisbane is located in sunny Queensland and is a beautiful place to take a trip for business or pleasure. We recently returned from a short break in Brisbane and quite honestly, we fell in Love. This little city has a lot to offer and visiting is a breeze with great transport connections and plenty of things to do. Of all the places to visit in Queensland, Brisbane could just be our new favourite. Here’s a brief guide for travellers and holiday-makers lucky enough to have Brisbane feature on their itinerary. This information would also be useful for digital nomads looking to use Brisbane as a base, which, who knows, just might be us!
Brisbane Travel Blog
We spent 5 days in Brisbane, but this was far from our first time. It was, however, our first time taking the kids (now teens) to Brisbane and they loved it just as much as we did. Brisbane was a breath of fresh air. Everything was so convenient, easy, and fun. We had great accomodation, plenty of food options and the beautiful riverside parks and walkways to explore. Let us tell you a little more about this city, Brisbane travel blog style, our first-hand experiences plus some useful travel facts and information. We want you to enjoy Brisbane as much as we did.
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Getting to/from Brisbane Airport
There are a number of different transport options for getting between Brisbane airport and the city centre. Take the environmentally friendly Airtrain and arrive in the city centre in roughly 20 minutes. A single train ticket costs $17 (one-way) or $32 (return). If you arrive outside of train times or want a more direct service to your hotel, taxis can be taken for around $40 for the 18km trip from Brisbane Airport to the city centre.
Getting Around Brisbane
The public transportation system in Brisbane comprises of trains, busses and ferries. Grab yourself a “Go” card upon arrival in Brisbane, top it up with credit, and then pay as you go. There are also a number of free bus loop services and a hop-on/hop-off bus loop that business travellers can use to explore the city in between business meetings. Of course, the Brisbane CBD is relatively small and you may find it more convenient, not to mention picturesque, to walk.
Eating in Brisbane
Eating in Brisbane was a dream for us. Australian food like chicken parmie, and fish and chips is well represented and available and some lovely dining venues on the South Bank and scattered through Brisbane city. What stood out to us, on top of that, was the abundance of food from other countries, we spotted Malaysian, Thai, Chinese, Indian, every type of cuisine. Living in Port Douglas, we’ve missed this.
We also noticed that the supermarkets carried a greater variety of food and at better prices than in FNQ. We chose to self-cater, only eating a full meal out once. Our lodging had a full kitchen and was very well equipped, with a supermarket just below the building. We undoubtedly saved a lot of money by doing that and in these Covid times, cash is short. This is an obvious tip and one you’ll find in our post on how to save money on your Queensland holiday. We’d love to go back and try more Brisbane restaurants in future.
Travel Agents
Book a last minute flight or make another hotel reservation through one of the many quality travel agents in the city’s CBD. Travel agencies specialising in business travel, such as Corporate Traveller, have a great track record at catering to this special type of traveller. Contact them by phone or email, discuss your travel plans, and leave it all in the hands of the professionals.
Co-working Spaces
If you need a quiet place to get some work done whilst on a business trip to Brisbane, then make sure you pay a visit to one of the city’s co-working spaces. Co-working spaced, loved by the digital nomad community, are also useful for corporate or business travellers. Brisbane has many centrally located co-working spaces that can be rented by the day or month. Most spaces give you a private desk, fast internet, free tea and coffee, and printing facilities.
Gyms and Fitness Centres
Don’t forget about your health on your next business trip to Brisbane, and work out at one of the numerous 24/7 gyms located within the confines of the CBD. Of course, always check to see whether your hotel has its own fitness centre or gym and save yourself a trip to the gym. Better yet, pack your runners and go for a run around one of the numerous parks in the city centre. This is a great way to stay healthy, explore your new surroundings and soak up the local atmosphere.
Brisbane is not a small country town with big city dreams. It continues to attract scores of business travellers from all over the world. Keep this guide handy on your first trip to the capital of Queensland and make the most of your time there. You may not want to leave!
Have you recently travelled to Brisbane? What are the highlights? Share your answers below! For more information on travel in and to Australia, check out our guide to Australia at our Australia travel blog page.
